Willie Gary, senior partner in the Stuart, Florida-based law firm of Gary, Williams, Finney, Lewis, Watson and Sperando, P.L., along with partners CK Hoffler and Manny Socias and associate attorney Paul D. Mark Lucas will begin a two-week trial in Martin County on behalf of their clients Nicholas and Jo-Ann Mariano and their company Treasure Coast Interiors, Inc., against Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc.  Treasure Coast Interiors alleges that Ethan Allen breached its contractual relationship when it acted in bad faith by terminating Treasure Coast Interiors, Inc. after 14 years without reasonable notice. The trial began today, July 19, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. at the Martin County Courthouse, Room A-31 in front of Judge Elizabeth A. Metzger.

Ethan Allen's troubles are just beginning.  Tomorrow, Ethan Allen will be served with a second and completely different lawsuit filed by Nick and Jo-Ann Mariano, individually, in the Brevard County Circuit Court in Melbourne.  The Marianos claim that they were personally destroyed financially by Ethan Allen's improper actions.  Due to Ethan Allen's misconduct, the Mariano's have suffered tremendous financial loss as well as damage to their reputations.  

Treasure Coast Interior, Inc.'s President and CEO, Nicholas Mariano, Jr. and his wife Jo-Ann Mariano have been in the furniture business for over 25 years. Based on their stellar reputation in the industry and hard work, Ethan Allen recruited them to open up 3 stores located in Stuart, Vero Beach and Melbourne, and abruptly terminated them.

"Our clients, Nicholas and Jo-Ann Mariano were dedicated to the building of the Ethan Allen brand in Florida for over 14 years," said Gary.  "Ethan Allen's actions were flat out wrong and they know it.  In fact, Nicholas Mariano and his family faithfully developed markets on the Treasure Coast, serving as Ethan Allen's exclusive retailer in these markets.  For Ethan Allen, a multi-billion dollar company, to trample on local businesspersons who have worked their fingers to the bone to build a strong reputation, is a grave injustice.  Ethan Allen may have a monopoly on the furniture business, but it doesn't have a monopoly on justice," continued Gary.

Gary is no stranger to justice.  He is noted for winning a $240 million jury verdict in Orange County Florida against the Walt Disney Corporation for their clients who alleged Disney stole their idea for a sports theme park.  Also, Gary was awarded $18 million, Florida's largest jury verdict of its kind, against the media conglomerate Gannett Company for the false portrayal of their client in a series of newspaper articles.  In 2001, a jury awarded Gary a $139.6 million verdict for the Maris Distributing Company against Anheuser Busch.  In addition, Gary was given a half-billion dollar verdict in Jackson, Mississippi against the Loewen Group, a large Canadian funeral home chain.  

SOURCE Law Offices of Gary, Williams, Finney, Lewis, Watson & Sperando, P.L.

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